VEGAN ESPRESSO & TRIPLE-GINGER CAKE FROM "WORLD VEGAN FEAST"

This ginger cake is the cosmopolitan cousin of the familiar gingerbread many of us grew up with. The cake itself is very light in texture (you would definitely not call this “bread”!) and infused with a generous amount of both fresh and ground dried ginger. Topped off with a fluffy espresso frosting and a plenty of sweet-hot organic candied ginger, this cake always gets rave reviews (and recipe requests) at potlucks and community get-togethers. Tasters are pleasantly surprised at the pairing of coffee and ginger and keep going back for more. But, really, how many times have we enjoyed a cup of coffee with a ginger cookie or a piece of gingerbread? It seemed like a match made in heaven to me and I think I was right.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S VEGAN ESPRESSO AND TRIPLE-GINGER CAKE
From my book “World Vegan Feast” © Bryanna Clark Grogan 2011

Serves 9

Wet Mixture:

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup fancy (light) molasses

1/2 cup soft brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup vegan butter (try my homemade palm oil-free Buttah) or oil

1/4 cup unsweetened smooth applesauce
1/4 cup nondairy milk

3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger

Dry Mixture:

3/4 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (do not use ordinary whole wheat flour or the cake will be tough)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Espresso Frosting:

1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water

1 tablespoon instant espresso granules (or 2 tablespoons good-quality instant coffee granules)

2 tablespoons softened vegan butter (try my homemade palm oil-free Buttah)

2 3/4 tablespoons nondairy milk

2 cups organic powdered sugar
NOTE: If you have no instant espresso powder and you can make espresso at home, you can use 8 1/4 teaspoons cold liquid espresso as the TOTAL liquid and omit the nondairy milk.

Candied Ginger Garnish:

1 cup chopped candied (crystallized) ginger

Tip: Organic candied ginger has a stronger ginger flavor and “bite” to it than the ordinary variety, so if you really like ginger, look for it!

Oil a 9-inch square cake pan and line the bottom with baking parchment cut to fit. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large heatproof bowl, batter bowl or measuring pitcher, pour the boiling water over the vegan butter (or oil) and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the molasses, brown sugar, applesauce, milk and grated fresh ginger.

In another bowl, stir together the flours with the baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt and allspice. Add this to the molasses mixture in two additions, stirring until smooth. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center. Cool thoroughly on a rack.

To make the Espresso Frosting, pour the boiling water into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the espresso or coffee granules and stir to dissolve. Add the vegan butter and milk. Whisk together well. With a hand-held electric mixer or the whip attachment to your mixer, gradually beat in the powdered sugar until the frosting is creamy and smooth. Spread it immediately over the top of cooled cake (not the sides) so that icing drips over the sides but does not cover them completely. Sprinkle the top evenly with the chopped candied ginger. Cut into 9 squares to serve.

Enjoy!